Somewhere in Blackpool

She didn't seem to appreciate that comment. "STOP PACING!" Serenity shrieked. "Just stop! I'll have them send you out of here."

He stopped, and turned to her. "I'll just leave, if you want me to."

"That would be nice.. Actually-- please don't. They might try to eat me again.." She said softly. "In my dreams, you see."

Elroy frowned. "Huh?"

"When I go to sleep, in my dreams, there are people. My friends. They try to eat me. Olivia, she tries to eat me.. Rachel, her as well. Amanda, and Angel too. Please stay." She sounded quite out of her mind, but really, it made quite a lot of sense. Well, to her at least.

"... You sound like a preschooler." Nevertheless, he pulled up a chair next to her bed.

"Mm-hmm.." Serenity said, smiling brightly. And then, one of the doctors came in. "Miss Rosensteel, your friend has to go now. Visiting hours are over."
"I told you. He's my brother."
"For some reason, I doubt that."
"Please, doctor, I promise, he's my brother. My only family, in fact. He simply has to stay with me."
The doctor sighed, wishing his job included less crazy people. "Fine. I'll be back in a couple of hours to check on those stitches." He left, and Serenity whistled lowly. "That was close."

"What time is it, anyway?" Elroy looked around the room in search of a clock of some sort.

"Eight." Serenity said, closing her eyes. "It's when visiting hours stop." She kept her eyes closed, but still seemed a little nervous.

"I should probably get going soon, then. Bev'll kill me if I'm out past nine... That fat lady with the lazy eye back at the center; that's Bev."

"You're not going to stay?! That's what everyone does when someone they had sex with was in the hospital. I'm expected to stay here all night, having nightmares, surrounded by people I don't know?! That's so unfair.." She opened her eyes, about to burst into tears.

"Oh, are you gonna try to use that as blackmail, then?"

Serenity, having had enough of the endless banter, started to cry.

Elroy stared at her, then let out a sigh. "I jest. Relax."

"Well- Well don't jest, then!" Serenity said, frowning. "But.. Thanks. You're being very nice about this."

"I am?" He crossed his legs, tilting the chair back until it hit the wall.

"Yes. You're halfway considerate, and you're staying here. Nicely, like a nice person."

"If you say so," he said after a short pause.

Serenity smiled and closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Serenity looked murderous. Positively murderous. The doctor guy had came back in and informed her she was free to go- but could not be alone. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T GO HOME?!" She was screaming, positively irate. "SO WHAT, I LIVE ALONE?! IS THAT A CRIME NOW?!"
"No, but the damage to your head could cause a seizure at any time. You simply need to be around other people until those stitches heal, otherwise your head is very vulnerable, and you could injure yourself."
"I'm not an old person! I should be able to do what I want!"
"Well, in this instance, you can't. I'm sorry. Do you have any family nearby?"
"No. Only some idiot."
"I suggest you call this idiot."
"He lives in a homeless shelter."
"Well, unless you want to pay thousands of dollars, you can't stay here!"
"Fine. I'll call him. Give me a phone."

And, eventually, Serenity was dialing the homeless shelter's number. "Elroy Astor, please."

"He's at work, sweetie," said the grating, mousy voice of Bev on the other end of the phone.

"Well, damn it, phone his work and tell him to come home. What the hell does he even do anyways?! Well, whatever. I'm in the hospital and when he comes back here he better phone me, or better yet, come here, otherwise I will kill his ass!" Serenity shouted into the phone.

"I'll pass on the message," she squeaked.

Click.

"She's probably not going to tell him.." Serenity mumbled to herself and stared at the wall again. Stupid hospital.

In spite of what he'd rather be off doing at 6:00 PM on a Friday night, Elroy did, in fact, get the message, and he was back in that hospital room by 6:30 at the latest.